Intelisys Aviation Blog

Coffee, Tea or WHAT? Strange In-Flight Sales

Airlines and purchases have gone hand-in-hand since before the first copy of SkyMall hit the press. In a race to goals such as higher profits or better customer perception, some airlines have taken the lead for the oddest ancillary items on the market, ranging from the enviable to the unbelievable – no small feat considering the awe-inspiring nature of air travel itself. Here are a handful of the more incredible contributions to the mile high marketplace:

Space – the atmosphere doesn’t need to be the final frontier if you happen to have $250,000 kicking around in your sock drawer. Virgin Airlines’ eccentric founder Richard Branson is reaching for the stars, literally, with his newest business venture: Virgin Galactic. The company’s chartered space flights may be pricey now, but Branson has indicated in interviews that he expects that orbital space travel will become commonplace – and thus less expensive – for long-haul flights in the next 100 or so years. The forward-thinking company has even begun accepting the controversial cryptocurrency Bitcoin for payment on space flight tickets.

Eyelash Growth Serum – if you find yourself on a FinnAir flight with less-than-impressive lashes, fear not – help is only a call button away. In addition to common duty-free items such as liquor and perfumes, cosmetics have now become available for those anxious to shop for tax-free goodies. Among the blushes, eyeshadows and lipstick sets, you’ll also find special products such as lip plumpers and eyelash growth serum kits.

Ionic Hair Brush – ThaiAir knows that looking your best is important, so get your hair (and, evidently, your ions) in line with a special ionic hairbrush from Braun, available for purchase in flight. After all, if you want to impress that important overseas client, it’s vital to have a properly ionized coif.

A T-Rex Garden Statue – No list of crazy in-flight purchases would be complete without a peek into the luxuriously weird pages of the Skymall catalog. Holding court between listings for silk sheets and triple-filtered dog water bowls is a true Jurassic gem: a garden statue in the shape of history’s most fearsome predator. For only $159.99, you can make sure those pesky squirrels know who’s boss.

Sure, you can pull out your credit card for a teeny bottle of vodka or a hummus snack pack, but why not use your in-flight purchasing power for something truly noteworthy? These strange offerings are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to weird retail on the wing. Next time you hop a flight, consider shopping beyond the norm and see what turns up!